Beating the Odds episode 26

Beating The Odds – Episode 26
 
 
 
© Brian Ngoma
 
 
 
“This car has to be impounded for evidence,” Boadi gave instructions. “I have a feeling he’s still around.”
 
 
 
“There is a gun in,side,” a female officer said.
 
 
 
“Take it to evidence too.”
 
 
 
“And Why would he still be around? He’s a criminal.”
 
 
 
“I don’t know but that’s how i feel. Anyway, ensure the wh0le hospital is searched including all nearby places, he couldn’t have gone far. The way he disappeared,” Boadi said thoughtful.
 
 
 
He went back into the hospital. It had been four hours after he had chased Cayn down the hallway and couldn’t get how he disappeared on him. He thought back at his older case and remembered a boy that did something like that. He blushed off his thought, he couldn’t be the same boy, he told himself as he walked to Shekinah’s room. He had placed two police officers outside her room and told them to be as alert as possible. “How’s it going?” he asked one of the officers.
 
 
 
“It’s fine sir.”
 
 
 
“Is the nurse still in?”
 
 
 
“Yes.”
 
 
 
Boadi slowly opened the door and eased in. He found the nurse tending to Shekinah who seemed to be in pain with a neck brace around her neck and her left hand hanging on a stand. She forced a smile as soon as she saw him. He surveyed the room. There was a patient’s chair which was by the window as well as a visitor’s chair which was just by the entrance. Next to the hospital bed was a bedside table and a lamp on it.
 
 
 
“Detective,” she tried to say something.
 
 
 
He walked to her side and said, “You need to rest.”
 
 
 
“Who brought me?”
 
 
 
The Nurse left the room.
 
 
 
“Cayn, we thought he had kidnapped you till we got reports that he had drove you here.”
 
 
 
“Last thing i remember is passing out at his house, have you informed my family?”
 
 
 
“They have been told but we told them not to come here yet, it’s not safe.”
 
 
 
“Why?”
 
 
 
“When i got here, i found him still here talking to the nurse. He might be around.”
 
 
 
“Why did he bring me here knowing he would be captured?”
 
 
 
“That’s what i’m trying to find out. Perahps you know each other,” Boadi directly looked at her in the eyes.
 
 
 
She frowned a deep furrow forming in her brow. “Hell no, i don’t.”
 
 
 
“Anyway, we’ll get him. We are searching everywhere.”
 
 
 
He left her all alone. She wondered why a criminal would bring her to the hospital risking his life. She wanted her husband and her son on her side but she knew it was not safe. She looked to her right and saw the photo on the table. She tried to reach for it but couldn’t.
 
 
 
“You will hate yourself,” Cayn said crawling out of the bed. She wanted to scre-m but he quickly covered her mouth with his hand. “I am not here to hurt you, i promise,” he assured her.
 
 
 
 
She angrily looked at him breathing heavily. He had worn a male nurse uniform. She was scared at the same time angry feeling like she could strangle him to death if only her neck and hand weren’t crumpled. She mumbled motioning to him that she would comply. He slowly let go of her and said, “I am sorry about that, i know you are in pain.”
 
 
 
“How did you get in here?”
 
 
 
“That’s not important.”
 
 
 
“There are police officers outside,” she said her voice wavering. “If you try to kill me, they will get you and you know Boadi is on you.”
 
 
 
“If i wanted to kill you, i would have killed you earlier,” he grabbed the chair by the door and placed it against the door. He stood motionless not knowing what to say first. He touched his head while he felt her eyes probing him.
 
 
 
“Why did you bring me here?”
 
 
 
“Trust me, that’s the question i am askng myself too. Why the hell did i risk myself to bring you here? I could have been on a plane right now.”
 
 
 
“Guilty, perhaps. Criminals sometimes have that.”
 
 
 
 
“No No No,” he paced about in the room. He walked to the table next to her and grabbed the photo from it. “Tell me, where did you get this?” he looked at her.
 
 
 
“It’s mine, what’s your business with it?”
 
 
 
“Tell me!” he almost shouted.
 
 
 
“None of your business.”
 
 
 
“Where did you get it? Who gave it to you?” he asked losing his breath. He coughed like he had choked himself on his own saliva. He finally got hold of his breath and stood at her feet. “Please tell me.”
 
 
 
 
“I told you, it’s mine.”
 
 
 
“No it’s not, where is she?” he held on to the bed with one hand while the photo was in his hand.
 
 
 
“Where is who?”
 
 
 
“The one who gave you this photo? Where is she?”
 
 
 
“I don’t know,” she answered nervously feeling her heart rate increasing. “What’s your deal with it? Get it, go away with it just don’t hurt me.”
 
 
 
“I’m not here to hurt you tell me where she is.”
 
 
 
“Is that the reason you are still here?”
 
 
 
“Yes, tell me where she is now, please!” he begged her.
 
 
 
“I told you i don’t know,” she answered.
 
 
 
“She could have told you where she went. She came to you because you are a police officer and probably left this with you to find the boy in this picture, did she? You know where she is , i know you do. Tell me.”
 
 
 
She was intently looking at him feeling tears forming in her eyes. “Who is the boy in the picture?” she asked him.
 
 
 
He couldn’t answer. He felt a lamp forming in his throat. He kept pacing about in the room.
 
 
 
“Who is the boy in the picture damn it? Answer me!”
 
 
 
He looked at her breathing heavily. “Where is she? Where is my sister?”
 
 
 
Her heart sank. She felt like she couldn’t breath. He noticed and ran to her raising her head and supporting it with a pillow. “Okay?”
 
 
 
She nodded looking at him her eyes glowing with curiousity. “Sister? Which sister?”
 
 
 
“My sister? The one who gave you this photo?”
 
 
 
“It can’t be,” she said. “No No No No,” she tried to scre-m.
 
 
 
He quickly got hold of her and covered her mouth again. He looked into her eyes and she was scared. He could see a monster she perceived him to be in those bright eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you, just tell me where she is and i will be out of here please,” he said sincerely. He let go of her mouth.
 
 
 
She started crying and couldn’t say a word. He thought he would not get anything out of her. Disappointed, he turned around and walked to the window when he heard;
 
 
 
“Kani,” she softly called his name.
 
 
 
His body turned flaccid he dropped the photo on the floor. He turned around and looked at her. “What did you call me?” he asked his voice shaky.
 
 
 
“It can’t be you,” she said crying even more. “It can’t, please tell me it’s not you.”
 
 
 
“Tasha.”
 
 
 
She sobbed bitterly and covered herself with the sheets. He knelt down on the floor and looked at the photo. He couldn’t look at her. He grabbed the photo and said, “Is it you Tasha?” his face on the photo.
 
 
 
She kept crying under the sheets. He got up and walked to the bed. He removed the sheet from her and she avoided his eyes. “Are you Tasha.”
 
 
 
She slowly turned her head to him and responded. “Are you Kani?”
 
 
 
“Limbikani.”
 
 
 
She cried so hærd the officers outside thought they had heard something but ignored it. Cayn fell to his knees and crawled to the corner and curled himslef up sobbing uncontrollably. They were all crying failing to speak. They were both in denial. There was no way he could be Kani and she could be Tasha. The universe was playing tricks with them, they all thought.
 
 
 
“You left me,” he broke the silence.
 
 
 
“I din’t leave you,” she sobbed.
 
 
 
“I thought you would come back for me, i was only four when you left,” he cried. “Only memories i had of you was what i was told at the orphanage. They kept mentioning you and so i thought, my sister would come back for me one day but you never did.”
 
 
 
“I came back for you.”
 
 
 
“No you didn’t.”
 
 
 
“I did. You had been adopted and my foster parents told me that it was not fine to come to you. I agreed but i couldn’t live with myself. When i was sixteen, i went back to the orpahnage and demanded that they tell me where you had been placed. After trying and trying, they accepted but it was too late, the family that had adopted you were criminals. I was told about what happened to them and i heard that you had ran away. No one knew where you had gone to. I didn’t stop there, been that my foster parents were well renowned people, i had the orphanage closed because of their negligence. I made sure i was there when it was closed. The same day, the caretaker gave me your only childhood photo which you are holding now. Despite everyone telling me to stop looking for you, i didn’t stop. I decided to go the prison in hopes of meeting up with you but i was told Mayi passed away,” she paused and wiped her tears. “I was broken, i din’t know what to do. My world crumbled on my feet. That is when i decided to join the force. I thought perhaps, i would find you using the resources and evrything the force had at it’s disoposal but time and time again, i failed.”
 
 
 
Cayn was silent tears streaming down his cheeks.
 
 
 
“Say something please.”
 
 
 
“I cried every night Tasha, every night. I kept hoping you would find me. The things i went through, you cannot even imagine.”
 
 
 
“My life hasn’t been easier too, yes, i was given everything but an important part of my life was missing.”
 
 
 
He stood up wiping his tears. “Mayi is not dead,” he said.
 
 
 
Her eyes w¡dened. “That’s not true. They told me she died.”
 
 
 
“And that is the reason i won’t let you arrest me. I broke her out of prison i am sure by now you know.”
 
 
 
The gun, she thought. “Please don’t leave me Kani,” she cried.
 
 
 
“You and i are on two different sides of the world now, we can never be at peace together. Even if we want to be, as long as I’m deemed a fugitive, the police will always be on my tail,” he felt his heart sink.
 
 
 
“No No NO, Kani i cannot lose you again. I cannot lose you and Mayi, please, i will make this go away please,” she sobbed.
 
 
 
“How Tasha? The damage has already been done.”
 
 
 
“Admit to your crimes, the forgerey. All else won’t be counted on you. You will just serve a minimum sentence and will come out. You cannot live your life like this please Kani.”
 
 
 
“There is no way i am going back to prison, in case you have forgotten, i was born there.”
 
 
 
“Please Kani, i want you in my life. Ever since that day i left the orphanage, i have never known peace. Aren’t you tired of living like this?”
 
“What other options do i have Tasha?”
 
“Plenty, I’m here. Please I’ll help you. Do it for Mayi before the worst happens.”
 
“Since Birth, i have been beating the odds and i will continue to do so till i die.”
 
“Please Kani,” she sobbed.
 
He walked to the window and stood hearing her beg him.
 
To be continued